READERS
FORUM
I just had
to take time to congratulate you on your mission and on your sound advice
to readers. As a lifelong horseman myself, I have had the pleasure to
serve as assistant trainer to such greats as Jack Van Berg and D. Wayne
Lukas. I trained a public stable for nearly 18 years before becoming a
track executive. I have also seen many examples of successful backyard
trainers bringing in horses to beat the big boys. As I learned from Van
Berg, the master shipper if there ever was one, a trailer ride the morning
of a race, if conducted properly, can be as easy on a horse as a jog around
the track and just as invigorating. During my seven years on the eastern
seaboard circuit, my peers and I from the Fair Hill Training Center shipped
all our horses in order to run - and we had an extremely high winning
percentage everywhere we raced. And nearly any horse can become a good
shipper if you load him up for short "pleasure trips" often enough. An
otherwise intelligent man - a friend of mine - scheduled an appointment
with me the other day and asked me to tell him the best way to go about
learning to be a trainer. Of course, I told him to go to work for Van
Berg or some other reputable trainer and then, if possible, to work for
a series of such trainers. And when he asked me if there were any good
books on the market he should read, I was happy to FINALLY be able to
say yes. I told him to buy a copy of The Back Yard Race Horse and to refer
to it carefully and often. Again, congratulations on your outstanding
work. Family involvement in racing is a great thing - both for the families
and for the sport itself. My family was blessed with an All American Futurity
winner way back in 1965 and it changed our lives for the better. Opportunities
are out there - the tracks give away hundreds of thousands of dollars
every day. The "little people" can get their share. That's one of the
great things about racing!
Scott Wells
Museum of the Horse, Director of Marketing
Ruidoso Downs, NM
Co-Host, "2 day At the Races", ESPN2
Gosh Scott! Thank you for your support! Since you've held many positions in racing and seen so much, I value your opinion. You were kind enough to have me speak at Hollywood Park and I always appreciated your openness to me and your sincere love of the horses and the business. While I'm at it, I want to mention to the readers that you have a great tape out with wonderful racehorse tales. It's called "True Confessions of a Loose Horse." It's 90 minutes of racing stories performed by award-winning author Scott Wells. From Phoenix to Midland to Paris, France. From high pomp and circumstance of Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, to the tragedy of a trampled body on a dusty "bush track", Scott takes you where few have been allowed to visit. Moreover, he takes you into the soul of the sport - the beauty and the pageantry, the colorful characters and the outrageous laughter. This selection of stories is a rich piece of Americana. To order the tape: Introductory Offer - $12.00 (ncludes shipping) Order of five or more: $8.00 plus $1.00 shipping per tape. Send check or money order to "Loose Horse" Box 1290, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico 88345
Ever since I was
fourteen, I wanted to be a part of thoroughbred racing. This dream was
bolstered by my neighbors, Jimmy and Annie Croll, of Oceanport, New Jersey,
a bike ride away from Monmouth Park for me. Anyway, Annie knew I had a
quarter horse and competed in barrel racing and such, and asked me if
I wanted to work with her on my summer vacations. I gladly accepted! First
at the farm, then on the track. I had various duties ranging from hot-walking,
rubbing horses, shedrowing, and eventually galloping. I consider myself
lucky to have been sheltered from the track life by having people I trusted
there guiding me.
As fate would have it, in 1988, I found the horse I was looking for -
a 3-year old bay filly by Hall of Reason. She has two full sisters: one,
a stakes horse, and the other has been in the money. I knew that one day
I would breed her.
In 1995, I did just that, to a nice looking seventeen-hand bay stallion
named War Secretary. By March of the next year we were expecting a baby
any day.
Here's where the fun began: I would wake up every morning, jump out of
bed, and look out the window to see if she had given birth. Of course
the day she did wax over, it was the nastiest weather all winter long!
Come to think of it, we haven't had anything like it since. I put her
in the barn that night and checked on her various times until I fell asleep
- which was difficult with the storm being so terrible. The wind was furious!
The rain was almost horizontal! Not to mention the near-freezing temperature!
I awoke at 1:21
AM to the sound of thunder. I laid in bed and tried to convince myself
that there was NO WAY she had the baby yet! After about a minute or two
I collected all my senses, jumped up, threw on a jacket and shoes, turned
on the barn light, grabbed an umbrella and ventured out into the horrific
storm. Once outside, I heard my mare hollering and carrying on as if something
were wrong. So I ran to the barn. And it felt like ETERNITY getting there!
I almost lost my umbrella twice running through the strong wind! At the
barn, I didn't see the baby at first. Then, I spotted him outside the
center aisle. The foal must have slipped out while trying to stand up.
At this point, I had to make a decision. Do I let the mare go to him,
or do I bring the foal in? I really wanted to help, so I went to the foal,
bent down, and picked him up. His coat felt like cold slush. I put him
back in the barn with Mama and found he was indeed a colt.
At the end of June 1996, my colt was already 12 hands! He's doing well,
as is the mare. She's pregnant again, bred back to the same stallion.
In a year or two I plan to get my trainer's license and train my own horses
going by The Backyard Racehorse Training Manual. Because of the book's
new ideas in training, regular horse people like me can get into this
business without a huge bank account. I now have the opportunity to make
my dream come true.
Kelli Rini
Zephyrhills, FL
Dear Kelli, by now you probably have surcingle and pad on your colt and are teaching him manners. This will be a great experience for you because you and he will grow together. You know his personality and that helps you be in control and establish discipline while he is still young. It's hard to start training with an unschooled two year old who may be too strong and unruly by the time you get him. There are many methods and techniques for training young horses that may eliminate later problems. Keep us posted! Editor
I want to thank you
again for donating your book to the 4-H Kids Equine Fair. It was a real
success! I even made it through my speech! Later on I checked the information
table and all of the copies of your newsletter were gone!
About a month ago we were asked if we would be interested in training
a couple of 3 year olds. Each has started a few times. Wow! What a surprise!
One was bucked in all four shins and had filling and tissue damage in
the right rear ankle. They were wondering why the horses wouldn't run
straight! I've heard that it's possible for a horse to buck in the rear
but I've never seen it. One thing for sure is that you can learn many
things when around horses! The other one had chips removed from the knee
and within 6 WEEKS FROM SURGERY THEY HAD THE HORSE TRAINING WITH 2 MINUTE
MILES! When we got him we could see fluid on the knee, so we x-rayed it
and found another chip and a spur! Oh well, so much for having 2 more
to train! We told the owner to think it over long and hard on what to
do with them. Their minds are probably scarred and their ability is definitely
limited. They were also lacking groceries, a little on the lean side!
IT'S A DOWN RIGHT SHAME all the money the owner had paid to have them
trained and to see the horses all beat up! Stories like this give racing
a bad name and sour new owners. When a problem flares up on a horse you
better stop on him/her or sooner or later you will have to wait longer
or have nothing!
Absolutely!
- Editor
Nowadays it seems they just keep training and racing them till they have
nothing!
Racing is still going strong here in Michigan. Hopefully it will for awhile.
We have a few promising Michigan Breds. One we ran nine times - he ran
2nd the other day and picked up $2800 in a Michigan Bred race. He only
missed a check twice! The other one ran seven times - he won once, got
a 2nd, two 3rds, and one 4th. His ability is limited as he was injured
as a suckling. We had been partners on his mother, so we sent her to Kentucky
to be bred. The mother had colic and had to have emergency surgery. She
made it. My husband had to take a few horses to Kentucky so he dropped
in to check on ours. He was sick. It was July. The foal had hair 2 inches
long. He was full of mucous and had a big hock. Apparently he had been
kicked. Oh well, he did compensate for it and won a couple! Now the racing
here is a little tougher and I will probably try to find him a good home!
The 2 & 3 year olds are getting there slowly. The 3 year old is a real
booger! He is always on the verge of blowing! One year we stabled where
the mother of this horse was bred. They said his mother threw everybody!
Like mother... like son! He has offset eyes. Maybe that's his problem.
I don't know but he is one we are handling with kid gloves. We gallop
him with the old saddlebred pony. Oh well, if he gets to the races he
is one we will never forget!
Our yearlings load on the trailer. I've been putting surcingle and saddle
pad on them. They cross tie. The one is already 16.1 hands. He is one
I'll definitely be waiting on. Writers cramp is setting in. I distributed
your newsletters to two tack shops. Be sure to send me some of your next
issue to put out.
Rosemari Blohm
New Haven, MI
I love to hear that you're working with 4-H! SO MANY learn basic horsemanship there! Racing should realize that 4-H is our sport's equivalent of little league! We can nurture and encourage the young to come into the business by having racing programs in the FAA programs at school and in the State extension programs! I hope you continue to do well with your youngsters. Because you are prepping them judiciously they should hold up to the sport. Be patient and fair and you'll have many years of racing! Good Luck! Editor
Dear BYRH,
Loved your newsletter!
I'm sure you'll keep growing. I'm primarily a Hunter/Jumper person who
went to the Ocala Breeders Sale and purchased a 9 month-old colt from
Rising Hill Farm that is a dynamo (a Northern Smartee colt). Everyone
that comes to the farm wants to know the story on the yearling! He runs
like a lightning bolt from end to end of the pasture. I didn't intend
to race him, but my interest has been heightened not only by your newsletter
but comments made about taking care of our horses first. We live in such
a disposable society. I would like to find a trainer who really cares
about my HORSE first and winning second. Because... I would like my horse
to be used as something else after he races other than an addition to
the meat market! I can't wait for my BYRH manual to come!
Joanne Petrilli
Jacksonville, FL
Whenever I hear from someone like you I have hope
for the industry! I understand the tremendous pressures put upon the trainer
and the vet to have some magic that will keep a horse sound and make him
run fast. But since THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET, a patient owner who cares,
is the next best thing. Remember, if your horse is not right, YOU TURN
HIM OUT a few days or weeks so he doesn't lose all the fitness and he
can tune right up again when he is not hurting. I know this is not practical
in many instances because the race meets only last so long. But you may
have a horse that can run FOR MANY SEASONS if you can just get him safely
through the early training and growing process!Editor
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